DAY – 8 ( INSTA REVISION TEST)INSTA REVISION PLAN 2.0, 2020

Solution: B

Nirbhaya Fund

The Nirbhaya Fund Framework provides for a non-lapsable corpus fund for safety and security of women to be administered by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the Government of India. Further, it provides for an Empowered Committee (EC) of officers chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) to appraise and recommend proposals to be funded under this framework.

It also provides for the concerned Ministry/ Department to seek approval of the designated competent financial authority, as well as of the DEA for funding of such proposals under the Nirbhaya Framework. As per this framework, the MoF through DEA is the nodal Ministry for any accretion into and withdrawal from the corpus, and the MWCD is responsible to review and monitor the progress of sanctioned projects/ schemes in conjunction with the concerned Central Ministries/ Departments. Budget allocations against approved projects are made in the budget of the respective Ministries/ Departments through Demands or Supplementary Demands for Grants.

Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) has been funded under the Framework of Nirbhaya Fund to support States/ UTs for their Victim Compensation Scheme. The total cost of the project appraised by EC is Rs.200.00 Cr. The CVCF is a one-time grant of top-up funds to the States/UTs subsequent to the directions of Hon’ble Supreme Court. Funds were released to States/UTs in 2016-17. No further activity remains on part of the central government. Further, Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated 11.05.2018 had directed all States/UTs to modify their victim compensation scheme in terms of the scheme prepared by the National Legal Services Authority.

As ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, the State Governments/ UTs are responsible for registration and investigation of crimes under the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as grant of financial assistance/ compensation to victims. Details on number of victims and their dependent families who have been paid compensation are not maintained centrally.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/only-20-of-nirbhaya-fund-has-been-used-by-states-until-2018/article28230097.ece

https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1579539

Solution: D

Originated in 1999 at the level of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, the G20 gathered for high-level discussions on macro-financial issues. In the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, the G20 was elevated to include the leaders of member countries. The first G20 Leaders’ Summit took place in Washington D.C. in November 2008. Consequently, the G20 agenda expanded beyond macro-financial issues, to include socio-economic and development issues.

The Group of Twenty, or the G20, is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. The G20 brings together the leaders of both developed and developing countries from every continent. ​

The G20 members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico,  ​Republic o​f Korea​,​ Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, ​​​Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union (EU)​.

Collectively, G20 members represent around 80% of the world’s economic output, two-thirds of global population and three-quarters of international trade. Throughout the year, representatives from G20 countries gather to discuss financial and socioeconomic issues.​

The presidency of the G20 rotates between member countries every year. The presidency plays a leading role in setting the agenda and organizing the Leaders’ Summit, which is attended by the G20 Heads of State or Government.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/narendra-modis-visit-to-japan-concludes-with-6-bilaterals-on-last-day/article28227812.ece

https://g20.org/en/about/Pages/Participants.aspx

Solution: D

EQUIP, an overarching program has been conceived by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development which sets out to deliver further on the principles of access, inclusion, quality, excellence, and enhancing employability in higher education. EQUIP aims at ushering transformations in India’s higher education system by implementing strategic interventions in the sector over five years (2019 – 2024). Ten expert groups have been constituted to design and formulate an Action Plan on Higher Education titled Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Program (EQUIP) encompassing ten critical areas of Indian higher education.

Objectives

The EQUIP exercise has set the following objectives to be achieved in a period of 5 years:

• Double the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education and resolve the geographically and socially skewed access to higher education institutions in India
• Upgrade the quality of education to global standards
• Position at least 50 Indian institutions among the top-1000 global universities
• Introduce governance reforms in higher education
• Accreditation of all institutions as an assurance of quality
• Promote Research & Innovation ecosystems
• Double the employability of the students passing out of higher education
• Harness education technology for expanding the reach
• Promote India as a study destination
• Achieve a quantum increase in investment in higher education

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-releases-action-plan-on-higher-education/article28218945.ece

https://vikaspedia.in/education/policies-and-schemes/education-quality-upgradation-and-inclusion-programme-equip

Solution: B

During the period between October 2018 to January 2019, the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India held four meetings of the PM-STIAC, which resulted in the formulation of nine different technology missions. Each mission will be led by a Ministry lead and will engage international and national institutional partners, young scientists and industry partners.

They are: ElectricVehicles, Natural Language Translation, Artificial Intelligence, National Biodiversity Mission, Quantum Frontier, BioScience for Human Health, Waste to Wealth, Deep Ocean Exploration and AGNIi

Other Major Projects of PM-STIAC

Apart from the 9 missions, the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser has also initiated other major Science, Technology and Innovation projects, including;

Research Clusters, Earth Museum, Brahmaputra River System, I-STEM, Energy Security

Solution: A

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization comprising seven Member States lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.

This sub-regional organization came into being on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. It constitutes seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.

Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Following the inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting (February 2004, Thailand), the name of the grouping was changed to ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC).

Solution: A

We are Survival, the global movement for tribal peoples’ rights. Survival International, the only organization that champions tribal peoples around the world. Survival International help them defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their own futures.

Solution: D

The Equator Prize is awarded biennially to recognize community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and is organized by the Equator Initiative within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

UNDP announces six women from Deccan Development Society (DDS) groups as winner of ‘Equator Prize’.

Solution: A

Nomenclature of Tropical Cyclone

Each Tropical Cyclone basin in the world has its own rotating list of names.For cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, the naming system was agreed by eight membercountries of a group called WMO/ESCAP.

These countries submitted eight names each. It took effect in 2004.

The first cyclone after the list was adopted was given the name in the first row of the first column, Onil, proposed by Bangladesh. Subsequent cyclones are being named sequentially, column-wise, with each cyclone given the name immediately below that of the previous cyclone.

Once the bottom of the column is reached, the sequence moves to the top of the next column. After the 64 names are exhausted, the eight countries will propose fresh lists of names.

Solution: B

Mount Etna, or Etna, is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy.

It lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

It is the tallest active volcano in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/fiery-trip-to-mount-etna/article28698103.ece

Solution: D

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent.

The bloc was launched on 9 July 2002 in South Africa. It was officially launched as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).

The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.

Key objectives

• To achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and Africans.
• To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States.
• To accelerate the political and social-economic integration of the continent.

Agenda 2063 is the blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.

Solution: C

Forty plus Nine recommendations

The FATF’s primary policies issued are the Forty Recommendations on money laundering from1990 and the Nine Special Recommendations (SR) on Terrorism Financing (TF).These together are called 40+9 recommendations.

https://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/fatfrecommendations/documents/ixspecialrecommendations.html

Solution: C

It is the first regional government-to-government agreement to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.

ReCAAP stands for Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

The ReCAAP Agreement was launched in November 2006 with14 Asian Contracting Parties including North, Southeast, and South Asian countries.

Information sharing, capacity building and mutual legal assistance are the three pillars of cooperation under the ReCAAP agreement.

Presently 20 countries are members of ReCAAP, including Europe (Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom), Australia, and the United States.

Solution: D

A total of 13 Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements from India have been inscribed till date on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The SangeetNatakAkademi, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture is the nodal office for matters relating to the intangible cultural heritage.

• Tradition of Vedic chanting
• Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana
• Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre
• Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas, India
• Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala
• Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan
• Chhau dance
• Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakhregion, Jammu and Kashmir, India
• Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur
• Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru,
• Punjab, India
• Yoga
• Nowrouz
• KumbhMela

Solution: D

Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) is an independent body constituted to give advice on economic and related issues to the Government of India, specifically to the Prime Minister.

Functions

Terms of reference as defined by the PMEAC are as follows:

Analyzing any issue, economic or otherwise, referred to it by the Prime Minister and advising him thereon;

Addressing issues of macroeconomic importance and presenting views thereon to the Prime Minister. This could be either suo-moto or on a reference from the Prime Minister or anyone else:

Submitting periodic reports to the Prime Minister on macroeconomic developments and issues with implications for economic policy;

Attending to any other task as may be desired by the Prime Minister from time to time.

The Council consists of economists of high repute and eminence: Dr. Bibek Debroy (Chairman), Shri Ratan P. Watal (Member Secretary), Dr. Rathin Roy (Part-Time Member), Dr. AshimaGoyal (Part-Time Member) and Dr. Shamika Ravi (Part-Time Member).

http://eacpm.gov.in/

Solution: C

Vembanad (VembanadKayal or VembanadKol) is thelongest lake in India,and the largest lake in the state of Kerala[Mangrove with area 2114 sq. Km is the second largest Ramasar site in India only after Sunderbans in West Bengal]